August 14 each year will be set aside by the Navajo Nation as the annual Code Talkers Day. This tribal holiday will recognize the heroic contributions made by the Navajo Indians during WWII. “In all the war histories of the United States, no other language other than English was used except in World War II, when the United States for the first time in its history used the Navajo people and Navajo words to win the war.,” said Larry Anderson, Council Delegate from Fort Defiance. He continued, “The Navajo code was dispatched by the Navajo and received by the Navajo and translated by the Navajo”.
The first platoon of code talkers to graduate from the Marine academy were recognized after the war with Congressional Gold Medals. The remainder, some 300 more, were given silver medals.
The United States owes a great debt of gratitude to these heroes. We encourage you to set aside a few minutes on August 14 to recognize them in your thoughts.
Aboriginals: Art of the First Person is proud of its association with the native people of our land and proud to be the owners of a hand-carved
color guard of code talkers, pictured here.
They were carved in 1997 by Renzo Reed of the Navajo Nation.
